The Federal Trade Commission is wrapping up its so-called Operation Ruse Control, which went after car dealers for deceptive advertising and other types of fraud. It resulted in 252 enforcement actions and six cases for the FTC.

You remember Rikk Wilde. The Chevrolet regional manager became an immediate sensation last fall when he stammered through his World Series presentation and invoked the now-famous "technology and stuff" catchphrase to describe the automaker's latest offerings. As it turns out, he's not the only car guy struggling to offer more specifics on the newest automotive technology.

Although there were hints and allegations that the Volkswagen Group might have taken the global sales crown for 2014, the final tally puts Toyota at the top for the third year in a row with 10.23 million sales in 2014. Volkswagen Group came second with 10.14 million units sold, General Motors came third with 9.92 million units sold. In 2015, however, the top two positions are expected to swap.

Automotive remarketer Alteso is pitching a new way to conduct wholesale car auctions, which currently aren't open to the public. Their idea would give everyday customers a way to visit a dealer's site to see what's being offered at auction, then they could request the dealer buy the car on their behalf and take delivery the next day.

Chinese dealers have long submitted to the power of foreign automakers, but with inventories out of control and only 30 percent of dealers operating at a profit, the situation has gotten so bad that the country's largest dealer body has complained to the government.

Having sold 336,441 cars in the US in 2012, Subaru said in early 2013 that it wanted to hit 500,000 annual sales here by 2015. After boosting sales to 424,683 in 2013, it's hit its half-mil target a year early: on December 29, 2014 Subaru sold its 500,000th car.

Automotive News article says the Lexus December to Remember campaign started in 1998 that helped turn December into one of the biggest months of the year for car sales. Before that - and "that" wasn't that long ago - December was close to last in sales because no one seriously considered buying a car for Christmas.

Every industry develops its own slang – mastering it brings people together as part of a group and makes communication harder for outsiders to understand. Given the less-than-sterling reputation that car salesmen have among many consumers, it should be no surprise that they also have their own insider jargon. Much of the lingo is now finally coming to light in one place thanks to an Ohio lawyer specializing in 'lemon law' cases who keeps a dictionary of the terms on his website.

Many people absolutely abhor the car-buying process – especially haggling back-and-forth with a salesman to settle on a price. A 2014 study from Edmunds found that 83 percent of respondents would like to cut negotiating from the purchasing experience, and about 20 percent of them would have given up sex for a month to do it. However, Edmunds might have taken advertising that point a little too far recently, as it's had to remove a series of ads for its Price Promise no-haggle service from

Children are a blank slate. They draw their habits, behaviors and mannerisms from their parents. If you subscribe to that viewpoint, then this study out of Michigan State University won't really come as a surprise. According to Soren Anderson, and MSU economist, kids are 39 percent more likely to buy cars from the brands their parents support.

Longer loan terms and favorable interest rates are tempting consumers into pricier and more feature-laden vehicles, consequently driving average transaction prices up about three percent since 2009, according to a new report by Automotive News.

The auto industry in the US is doing great in 2014. According to our latest By The Numbers report, the Seasonally Adjusted Sales Rate climbed in August to about 17.5 million units, the highest figure since 2006. However, when you scratch underneath the positive surface, the rosy situation might not be as good as it seems. There continues to be a concern among insiders and analysts that while sales are strong now, they might not be sustainable. To keep financial results looking encouraging, some